Death of an Era
by I-got-zapped
Summary: A woman from the United States travels with her family overseas to Japan, and is cruelly ripped from them. In a world she barely understands and is so far away from the only home she has ever known, the war still continues. Who will she fight for? And if she chooses a side, what will be the cost? OC x ?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey! Blue here! So this is my new Hakuouki fic, so please be nice! I know that this is a very slow chapter, but it will pick up very fast, I swear! I will try to update every week, but there are no promises, cuz of high school and the fact that I do have a job (and am a massive procrastinator). As usual, constructive criticism is always welcome, but please no flames, that will not make me a happy camper. So sit back and enjoy! **

_**Disclaimer: I do not own nor claim to own Hakuouki, I only own my OC's (if I did, there would be no Mary-Sue's like Chizuru!)**_

_June 12, 1865_

_I had sort of lost track of time between when Father uprooted us from California to leave for Japan. His greed for a new start and the wealth from a foreign land sent us on this god-forsaken journey, where only misery has been able to find us so far. This is the first time I have been well enough to write since I got so sick from the rocking of the boat. Mother is still too sick to be moving around and Father is talking to the captain… Again. He hasn't come down below deck to check and see if Mother was alright even ONCE! Since this news about a new business opportunity in the Japanese capital, Kyoto, he seems to have completely forgotten about us, his own family. This seems to be the only place I can safely empty my thoughts, and since my other journal was destroyed in a storm during the first week of travel, and I was somehow able to convince a crew-hand to sneak away an old captain's log book that was going to be thrown out and give it to me. Father would not wish to be bothered for such a trivial matter. Luckily, the captain says that we are close to the port of their capital. I can only hope we will be there soon. With love and hopes for solid ground, your Keeper._

Gently, the girl closed the lightly worn, water stained, brown leather book and placed it inside of her pillowcase, hidden just out of sight from the prying eyes of nosy passengers and crew-members. Satisfied it was well hidden, the girl exhaled softly and stretched, nearly whacking her head on the low ceiling in the process. Anxious to escape the sickly stale air of the cabin, she tiptoed out, sparing her mother a quick glance to make sure she was all right. She then walked up the narrow stairwell, thankful the gentle rolling instead of the savage rocking it had been for the first week of their journey. Being ever grateful for that one small relief, the girl made her way to the door and was excited to find the sun filtering through the doorframe and the salty air sending shivers down her spine. Opening the door as gracefully as her excitement would allow, she nearly sprinted out onto the warm wooden deck, but contained herself, since her mother was always drilling into her that ladies must be "gentle, delicate creatures who move slowly, but with a purpose, and must stay silent unless spoken to." Bah. The real reason is that the simple cotton dress she was wearing would probably end up tripping her, since she had all the grace of a headless chicken, but whatever makes Mother the happiest. Seeing the beautiful sunset, the girl rushed over to the railing to hopefully catch a glimpse of the earth, when a rough hand clamped onto her shoulder, spinning her around, losing her balance, falling, falling into the cold ocean, never to be seen again-

"Jesus Liza, you scared me half to death!"

The girl, now identified as Liza, let go of the breath she didn't know she had been holding and smacked the older boys arm.

"Will! That was awful! You almost sent me overboard!"

Now the boy, Will, was Liza's brother, two years her elder and the one who would inherit their father's company. He was of relatively normal height; with tanned skin and a muscular build from the many days of working with the sailors (a fact that their father was not too happy about since it was "common man's work" but allowed him to continue nonetheless). With a mop of shaggy, sun-bleached blonde hair falling into trusting blue eyes, he was as easy to read as an open book. With his looks and relaxed stature, Will was the epitome of a "ladies man". Liza on the other hand, was just the opposite, with dark eyes that betrayed nothing, and a tall haughty posture to back her up. She had above-average height for a woman, taking the pale skin and mahogany colored hair from her mother and the height from her father. Though the two siblings had always been close, Will was now being groomed to succeed their father and starting to become a vital part of his deals which Liza was not privy to, effectively eliminating most contact between the two. And with the sudden decision to pack up and move to Japan, the small amount of time Liza and Will had together was nearly eliminated. Though even with these events, they could still read each other like close siblings can. At the moment, Liza's mind was more than a little preoccupied, and Will wasn't blind to this.

"Liza, I'm not stupid, could you please tell me what's wrong?" Will asked, leaning over the railing.

"I just don't understand any of this! Why would father want to take us all the way out to an uncivilized country on the brink of civil war? What kind of dealings could he possibly have that he felt the need to risk his life and the lives of his family? Can't you tell me anything Will?"

"Look Liza, Father is only trying to secure our future and-"

"And what Will? You won't always be there to defend Father from his mistakes, and his shady deals are now putting us all in danger-"

"ENOUGH! Liza, enough! I have told you all I can, and even still you will not listen! You only see what you want to see…. Father is a businessman and he has found plenty of business overseas. Could you at least be thankful for this opportunity?"

"Why on earth would I be grateful to have my entire life uprooted?! On top of that, these under-the-table deals are really disturbing! I'm telling you Will, nothing good is going to come out of this! This will all just end badly-"

"LIZA! Think about others for a moment! You aren't the only one suffering here! Mother, Father and myself have also left the only home we have ever known! Not everything has to be about you! And those business decisions are not any of YOUR business! They are of NO consequence to you! Now stay out of affairs that don't need you sticking your nose in!"

With that note, Will stomped off the deck, leaving Liza hurt and dumbfounded in the path of the blood-red sun. She wiped her cheek, attempting to erase any sign of the rebellious tears that fell against her will. Suddenly, there was a commotion on deck drawing Liza's attention to the starboard side of the boat. Taking a shuddering breath, she stumbled over to the railing and found the one thing she never thought she would see again.

"Land."

End Chapter 1


	2. Chapter 2

**Ok, so this is short, I know… as usual, please no flames, though constructive criticism is always welcome!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own nor claim to own Hakuouki, though I do claim all rights to my OC's!**

_June 28, 1865_

_After arriving in the city of Edo, my family continued our journey to the capital city of Kyoto. The journey to the capital was without incident for the most part, with quite a few strange looks from other travelers on the road, and a few run-ins with bandits called ronin, but everyone arrived safely due to the intense sword training Father subjected Will and myself to a few months earlier. The lessons at first perplexed me, but their purpose is now clear. As well as the "language studies" we were forced to learn. At least I am able to (somewhat) communicate with these people. I don't know if a barely coherent conversation could be called communication, but whatever. Our home is just outside the city, with two hired guards that refuse to talk to us. It has come to my attention, through the one servant woman that was willing to talk to me, that no self-respecting family of any standing would wish to associate themselves with the "western filth". The others are only here because there is no other place of work that will hire them. I cannot stand the fact that we are completely ostracized by this whole community! Mother is thankfully doing better, though it seems she is just sleeping the sickness off, and Father and Will hole themselves away with these mysterious business partners of theirs. I hate feeling so alone all the time. One can only sit and look out the window and clean their sword so many times before boredom sets in. I had found a small kitten the other day, but the little one was confiscated by one of the servants before father found out. Is it really so selfish to just want a friend?_

_With love and hopes for a (human) companion, your Keeper_

Liza then shut the journal, and lay down on the tatami mat, and listened to the crickets chirping, happy to hear something familiar this far away from home. The moon was just starting to rise, and it couldn't have been any later than 9:00pm. Blowing out the candle, she let the crickets lull her into an uneasy sleep. Only a few hours later, Liza was awoken to the sound of screaming and the sight of blood seeping into the floor. She quickly threw on her only pair of leggings, hunting boots and tucked her sword into the belt of the hakama shirt she was wearing and ran as quietly through the back hall to her mother's room. Slipping out of the slaughter from the crowded hall, Liza shut the door and spun around, only to face the back of a man in a light blue haori run a sword through her mother's prone form. She couldn't move. The world seemed to move to fast and not at all. Liza never registered her knees slamming into the floor. She never saw the man in that beautiful sky-blue haori turn to face her. All she could see was the few gasping breaths her mother coughed out, and the blood. Blood that seeped into the floor, that was splattered all over the walls, the blood that stained the deadly glinting silver of the blade that stole the breath of its victims. Liza fell to the floor and screamed. The scream echoed off the walls and broke the hearts of all who heard it. Her tears fell onto the dress of her mother, who had since ceased to breathe, and the man looked down at Liza and their eyes connected. The green eyes of the man who cold-heartedly impaled a defenseless woman met the liquid dark eyes of the lost foreigner. He muttered a few words to himself, disarmed her without a fight, and proceeded to tie her up. With her arms and legs bound, the green eyed man roughly lifted her up and made a very big show of carrying her out of the room. He then met up with a group of men in the same blue haori's and started speaking very quickly in Japanese. "Girl… Father… Weapons…. Use her…Hostage" the other men seemed to agree, even though not all seemed comfortable with this decision. One word shook Liza to the core. Hostage. She could only assume that would be her. But why would they need her as a hostage? Liza was starting to panic. She could feel the fear rising up in the back of her throat as the adrenaline left her body. She felt the need to escape, to make sure the rest of the family was safe and unharmed. Liza knew that attempting this would in vain, and she didn't want to take the risk of pushing her luck with her captors. Clearly they needed her, but for what and how long was beyond her. A few more words were exchanged, and very soon her bonds were tightened and the house was set ablaze. As the rope bit deeper into her skin, she said a prayer for her deceased mother, for the safety of her father, and for the safety and well-being of Will. And as the men started to walk away, before Liza let the grip of unconsciousness take her, she took one last look at the torched house she barely knew and the broken family that held too many secrets to keep them safe.

End Chapter 2

**Dang! Two chapters in one day! Though not explicitly named, everyone's favorite sadist Souji made an appearance! Oh Souji, why would you kill Liza's Mama? That's so not nice! Well, this story is starting to pick up so I hope you all enjoyed and I will see you all next week!**

**Love and Blessings ,**

**Blue**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey I'm here again! I want to thank everyone who took the time to look at my story, it really means a lot! Special thanks to Guest and Jinxes for reviewing *hands out yummy virtual cookies* Thank you lots! As usual, please feel free to leave comments, and constructive criticism is always welcome, just no flames. Enjoy this new chapter and I will see you all again next week!**

_**Disclaimer: I don't own nor claim to own Hakuouki, though I will absolutely claim to own my OC's!**_

_June 31 (maybe?), 1865_

_I woke up in a dark room with a small window and a locked door. From the little pieces of conversation I picked up, I'm pretty sure I was kidnapped by the Shinsengumi. I must be a special case, since I doubt that most captives are given a small portion of food and water three times a day. I thankfully don't have my wrists and ankles tied, though the skin there has been rubbed raw and is possibly becoming infected, since it is hot to the touch and ridiculously painful for me to write. I'm starting to wish that I had paid more attention in those Japanese lessons father made us take! My captors have tried to communicate with me, but they speak far too fast for me to understand. They seemed to have just given up. Green-eyes sits outside the door and yanks his sword out if I get too close to the window. I was able to convince the red-haired man who delivers my food to give me a piece of paper and charcoal to write this entry on. I found it very odd that a native Japanese man would have red hair… he must have western blood somewhere in his past. I'm doing my best to keep my thoughts away from my family. Every time I think of mother and what happened to her, I feel cold, like there is an aching void in my chest. And when I remember that her killer is right outside my door, there is a burning anger that runs through me. What's worse, I can do nothing about this! All I can do is hope and pray that Will and Father are alright. My head is really becoming painful… I might need a doctor soon…._

_With illness and sorrow, your Keeper_

Suppressing a chill and rubbing her sore eyes, Liza tucked the small piece of paper under the mat she was given for her bed and looked at her wrists. They were pink and raw, with yellow pus leaking out in places. Her ankles were in about the same condition. She was not a doctor, and despite her best attempts to keep the wounds clean, one can only do so much with dirty cloth ripped from a cloak and left-aside drinking water to treat wounds. A sharp knock at the door quickly broke her thoughts and the red-haired man announced himself. Liza was silently grateful for his presence. He was a kind man (from what she could tell) and with him there, she might have a chance at seeing their physician.

'_I know for certain green-eyes couldn't give a rat's ass about what happens to me' _Liza thought.

"Hey, are you decent? I'm coming in"

That must be Red-hair. "Yea, you can come in," Liza weakly muttered.

With that invitation, Red-hair walked in and saw Liza curled up on her mat. Her eyes were fever-bright, and the wounds on her wrists and ankles were clearly not healing, but getting worse. (no shit). The man, upon seeing her, started mentally berating himself for not noticing her condition until the afternoon of the third day she had been under his care. He set the food tray down and called out for the guard, Green-eyes.

"Souji! Quit sitting around and get Yamazaki!"

Green-eyes, or Souji, peeked through the door and saw Red-hair kneeling down by Liza, with his hand on her forehead to try to get a gauge on the severity of her fever.

"Harada-san, why don't you go get him? I can stay here and watch her you know." Souji replied.

The man known as Harada sent Souji an irritated look, and with a mildly frustrated tone, essentially told Souji to "shove it where the sun don't shine and do as I asked, like hell I would let you watch her since she is in this predicament because of you"; with an indignant squawk as a reply, Souji complied and left to get the man called Yamazaki. Harada grabbed a clean cloth, soaked it in some cool water, and gently laid it on Liza's forehead in an attempt to bring down her temperature. Liza shivered violently when the cool cloth touched her forehead and squirmed in a vain attempt to cocoon herself in her blanket.

Harada felt a rush of pity for the girl. Everything about her was so foreign, so out of place in their world. He tucked the blanket further around her, and waited for Yamazaki to arrive. He was currently stitching up that idiot Shinpachi after he had gotten in a drunken brawl in the red-light district. Shinpachi and himself were as close as brothers, but he could only be around the stupidity for so long, just like brothers.

Yamazaki opened the door with Souji in tow, and began to work. He wrapped the wounds in cloths, gave her some medicine mixed in her water, and let her sleep.

"I'll come back to check on her later tonight. Her wounds should have been treated immediately, especially since she was in shock when she arrived." Yamazaki stated. "Right now, her temperature needs to come down. Any higher and her life could be in immediate danger. I will stay with her and will send Souji if there is any change, good or bad."

"Will you want me to report this to Hijikata-san? He should probably know if he is about to lose the vital piece in his power play…" Harada trailed off. He hated talking about the girl as if she were an object, but at the moment, that's all she was. The unlucky bait in a deadly game of cat and mouse. And as she let out a little whimper in her sleep, Harada felt a pang of pity twist in his gut. He knew what had happened during the raid on her home, and the mother the young woman lost. He also knew that this girl witnessed that death, and that it would haunt her forever. He knew that the chance of this girl forgiving them was slim to none. But maybe, just maybe, she wouldn't see all of them from the hasty action of one.

"Reporting this would probably be the best idea. Just try not to make the vice-commander to mad, ok? I don't need another captain to sew up tonight." Yamazaki warned him.

"Understood. Send Souji if you need anything." Harada replied with a soft smile.

"Since when have I turned into the messenger boy?" Whined Souji, finding this whole conversation demeaning since he had no say in any of these decisions.

Both men turned to look at him, blinking. They actually forgot that he had been standing there the whole time, and were just a little embarrassed.

"Well," said Harada, "Since now I guess."

"Ah, whatever. It's not like I have anything better to do anyways…" replied Souji.

Harada gave a small grin. "Thanks Souji."

And with that, he walked out the door to inform the Demon Vice-Commander of Liza's condition.

End Chapter 3


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey there! Ok, so I realized (a few chapters too late) that I never divulged Liza and Will's ages… Oops… as an FYI, Liza is 19 years old, while Will is 22. I kinda feel stupid for forgetting that detail, but whatever. This chapter is going to be a little different, as well as having a little bit of fluff and embarrassed Yamazaki, so hopefully you will like the change of pace. **

_**Blue: *to Souji* Do I really have to say it again?**_

_**Souji: Do it, or I'll kill you**_

_**Blue: *huffs* Fine. I don't own nor claim to own Hakuouki, but I will claim all rights to my OC's! You happy now you sadistic little snot!? *chases him around until her lazy self decides it's too much effort* Screw it. Enjoy the chapter!**_

_Afternoon, July 1, 1865_

_I must have awoke sometime during the night last night…. The doctor, Yamazaki I think, gives me this odd look, and asked me if I remembered anything from last night. (or at least that's what I'm assuming. It sounded pretty close to that.) I'm a little scared… should I remember anything? What would he not want me to remember? All I know is that I feel much better this morning. I think I sat around enough, and it's time for me to do something productive, at least. _

_The girl who's ready to get her ass in gear, your Keeper._

_**About midnight of July 1**__**st**__**, 1865**_

Yamazaki sighed. The girl's fever had thankfully broke, and she was resting peacefully now. While he was one of the few people who knew of her true purpose, not just as the prisoner of a raid, and he truly felt bad for her. This girl, who couldn't even find the words to communicate her own name, had witnessed many events that would leave many others shell-shocked, yet she was able to push past that fear and maintain her dignity; whatever remained, at least.

After the stunt Souji pulled that night in the mansion, he was reprimanded and put on guard duty; forbidden to take part in any excursions outside the campus, and it put him in a foul mood. Anyone unfortunate enough to cross his path was lucky if they only escaped with a venomous glare in their direction. He was known to do worse in a less irate mood.

Suddenly, the blankets on top of Liza shifted, and she slowly sat up, rubbing the itch out of her eyes. Yamazaki froze; he had no idea what to do. Should he try to make himself known, or should he slip out the window to keep from being seen? He opted for the latter, and crept out of her line of sight, careful not to make a noise. Unfortunately for Yamazaki, luck was most definitely NOT on his side tonight, as he tripped on himself as he lifted himself onto the windowsill. Liza whipped her still-throbbing head around, and screamed, "AHHHHHHHHHHHH! WHO ARE YOU? GET OUT!"

A very startled Yamazaki looked up to see a very scared Liza, who didn't understand a word he was saying, and he realized that. Maybe a little too late, but he realized it nonetheless. He also realized that she was repeating _teishi;_ the word for stop. Maybe she knew other words. While she didn't understand full conversations, he might be able to calm her down.

"_Anata ga anzendearu" _ _You are safe. _

Yamazaki sat back. The girl had a very vague look of understanding. He wanted the girl to understand his purpose and racked his mind for the English word for a physician.

Pointing to himself, he looked at her and brokenly said, "Me…. Doctor"

A look of recognition and relief passed across her face, and Yamazaki sighed. He clearly said the right thing. The girl then looked up at him and slowly uttered,

"_Watashinonamaeha Lizadesu" My name is Liza_

Looking back at her, Yamazaki said,

"_Watashinonamaeha Yamazakidesu" My name is Yamazaki_

He bowed and looked back up at the girl, Liza. He slowly stood up, not looking to frighten her more, and slowly said,

"_Watashi wa ima, anata o nokoshite" I will leave you now._

With those words, and a small understanding of Liza's communicative abilities, Yamazaki left her room and let her sleep. On the other side of the door, Liza breathed a shaky sigh of relief and laid down onto her cot.

"My god that was scary…. At least he was kind, unlike that scary sonofabitch Green-eyes…."

With that parting thought, Liza drifted off into the deepest sleep she had since she had arrived in Japan.

_**Morning of July 1st, 1865**_

After writing in her makeshift "journal", Liza sat and waited. She contemplated the meaning of life, made pretty pictures with the rice grains in her bowl as she ate them, as well as calculating the frequency of bird chirps a minute; she sat and did pushups and sit-ups, and braided her hair more times than she could count. Liza was tired of sitting and waiting, she wanted to MOVE. She was feeling much better and was ready to do something the make the position she was in less boring. Since her sword was taken from her when she was held captive, she had nothing to train with. But maybe she could get one of the other men on the compound to train with her. Not with real swords of course, but a wooden practice sword would do. The man Harada was guarding her today, so maybe she could ask him. Walking over to the window, she knocked on the wall to get his attention and muttered her request.

"I'm sorry…. Could I….. Bokken training…. With someone?"

God…. That was and awful mess…. She was highly doubtful he even heard her, much less understood anything she said! Thankfully, he turned around and thought for a moment before answering her.

"You wish to train, is that it?"

"Yes, yes!"

_That wasn't as bad as I thought it would go_ Liza thought. _He might even give me a practice sword to use!_

Unfortunately, his reply left little hope for Liza.

"Sorry, not now. I can speak to my superiors later about your request, though." He added.

Harada could see the toll it was taking on Liza to stay cooped up here, and he truly wanted to help her. He just wasn't ready to get into trouble for disobeying orders. Liza, on the other hand, only understood "not now", and interpreted it as a polite "not on your life". Shooting Harada a mournful look, she sat in her corner, and impatiently waited for something new to happen.

End Chapter 4

**Ok then! So poor Liza can't seem to catch a break. She gets the bejesus scared out of her by Yamazaki, and is promptly shot down by Harada. I know I need to stop torturing my poor OC, but I can't seem to help myself! So any of these translations came straight off of Google translate, so I can't say for sure if they are correct. If anyone has any comments to make about the historical validity of my fic, please PM me! I'm really trying to make this as realistic as possible so any suggestions will be helpful! See you all next week!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey! Blue again! I was kinda disheartened to see NO reviews for the last chapter. I need that encouragement to find the motivation to keep writing this story, so please review if you can! I would like to thank Loveanime15 for the kind words of encouragement! As usual, please rate and review, and PM me if you have any questions to ask me.**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own nor claim to own Hakuouki**_

**Underlined lines: Thoughts **

_July 3, 1864_

_I'm so BORED! After the whole fiasco with Harada, I have been sitting here, with NOTHING to do. All I can do is sit and brood…. At this point, stir-crazy is an understatement to describe myself. Harada has tried to talk to me a few times, but I just can't bring myself to respond. I feel kind of bad, I just don't want to be disappointed again. On top of all this, I need a bath! I smell horrendous! After a week and a half, of stress and grime, one tends to get a little stinky…. At least a change of clothes would be nice! As usual, my thoughts and prayers always end up with my family, and I feel flooded with homesickness. Maybe I should just give up…._

_With hopelessness and love, your Keeper_

Liza stared out the circular window, and sighed. Life seemed to enjoy slamming every door it could in her face, just because it could. She had had a little bird that would fly into her room, keeping her company. Just recently, Liza had looked outside and seen her little bird on the cold ground, limping around from a wounded wing. Liza managed to coax the little bird to the window sill and into her room, but it was too late. That night, the little bird died.

Holding its little broken body in her hands, Liza felt hot tears well up into her eyes. And for the first time since she became a foreign captive, Liza cried. These weren't loud, dramatic sobs; these were the silent overflow of the heart. She didn't know how long she sat there and let the tears stream down her face, but Liza didn't try to stop them.

So Liza wrapped the little bird up in the strips of cloth she had been using as bandages and buried him under the watchful eye of Harada. When her little companion had been buried, Liza sprinted into her room and cried some more. And when the tears stopped and her breathing became steady, Liza's soul felt as if a weight had been lifted off of it. Her soul just felt clean. Bruised and battered, but clean and still whole. As she finished drying her eyes, a knock came at her door.

"You can come in" Liza responded. She was starting to remember some of the simple phrases in Japanese and it was very helpful. While she had never been fluent, the ease of speaking this language was returning to her and she sent up silent prayers of thanks.

The creaking of the door opening rang in her ears and she looked up. The blood in her veins froze, and time stopped. It was him. Green-eyes, or Souji or whatever the hell his name was. Why was HE here? Was killing her mother not enough? Was she going to be next? Why did all of this have to happen NOW? Couldn't he see that she had been hurt enough for the day?

Taking a moment to quickly look at him, she noticed that he didn't have a sword on him, though with a warrior like him, this man wouldn't need a sword to kill a girl like herself. Her breath shaking with the memories of the night of her capture, Liza squared her shoulders and faced her mother's killer. if this man wanted to have a shit-fit, boy was he gonna get one.

"What the hell do you want?" Liza curtly asked. At this point, screw politeness. He didn't deserve any of it.

"Oh, the little girl has some bite." Souji casually leaned on the door-frame of her room, blocking the sunlight like the shadow of death he was. This man lived off the blood and fear of others, and Liza would damn herself if she showed any of it.

She grit her teeth. ."Spit. It. Out."

Asshole. What a little shit-stain. A handsome shit-stain, but a shit-stain nonetheless. Her mother would be appalled by her language. Souji looked out over the courtyard and sighed again. He was making her uncomfortable and scared, and he was well aware of it. Snarky sonofabitch. Get on with it! Don't keep me waiting!

Souji waits for another moment before replying to her unspoken plea.

"Fine, fine. If you insist. You're gonna have to come with me little girl. You have a meeting with an important man, and the Vice-Commander doesn't like to be kept waiting"

Uh oh. This doesn't sound too good for me. I'm thinking my next destination is six feet under.

Liza swallowed her fear and replied with, "This little girl has a name, dickwad."

Ok. Now I've done it. If I wasn't a dead man walking before, I am now! Lord, do you find this funny?! Could you stop laughing for a little bit and help a girl out! How many 'Hail Mary's? Haven't I suffered enough yet?!

"That doesn't seem to be my problem, little girl. Now come on, we're leaving."

Oh shit.

And with that, Souji spun on his heel and left the room with Liza in tow. Literally in tow. Souji was damn near dragging her along the smooth wooden hallways.

What a pretentious bastard.

Neither spoke to the other, and she followed Souji along the twisting hallways until they came to an ordinary looking room on the outskirts of an elaborate courtyard. Souji forced Liza to her knees while he grabbed the outside of the door. Shaking again, Liza looked up at Souji and felt the pit of her stomach bottom out. He had a wicked grin on his face and he knelt down close to her ear. His breath was hot and sickly on her skin and she wanted to be sick.

With a gentle whisper, he said, "Oh, this is going to be interesting. Now into the lion's den with you." And he promptly tossed her into the room.

End Chapter 5

**I just can't seem to let Liza catch a break! I promise, things will start looking up for her, though I can't guarantee for how long. I am trying to update as frequently as possible, but between college tours, school, and band, nothing is set in stone yet. I will see you all sometime next week! Bye!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Oh God. I hope you all will be able to forgive me! I meant to have this written and updated three weeks ago! I have been swamped with school, and finals prep is going to be the death of me! Super thanks to all who have reviewed, and good luck to all who are facing end-of-the-school-year-finals panic. Thanks to everyone who has stuck with this story so far and I will see you all soon!**

_July 4, 1864 (Afternoon)_

_God, that was the scariest meeting I have ever been in! I mean, I'm not dead yet, which is always a bonus, but still! I was thrown into a large room with a bunch of shocked-looking men. They looked like they were expecting me, just not when I so abruptly arrived. A kindly-looking man with a topknot looked at me and helped me to my knees from my spot off the ground. A tall man with a long pony tail, no topknot, stood behind the one helping me, but the look in his eyes scared me. He had this glare that could liquefy the innards of whomever met that unfortunate gaze, almost like a demon. Souji gave me another nasty look, and huffed down in the corner of the room. _

Liza paused, and allowed her mind to mull over the events that had transpired that morning.

**Flashback**

A calm voice broke the awkward silence that had engulfed the room. There were only five people in the room at the moment. Liza, Souji, her guard Harada, the Demon-man, and the Kind Samurai man. Harada gave her an encouraging look before looking back to the men who were clearly the leaders. Liza could feel two sets of eyes burning holes into her. Not quite knowing where to look, Liza kept her eyes on the hands in her lap, and prayed to God, Jesus, and the Virgin Mary that these men would spare her life.

"How are you feeling, Child?"

Her head shot up, unsure of weather to answer or not. "I'm alright, I guess."

"That's good to hear. My name is Kondou Isami and I am the leader of the Shinsengumi. Behind me is Vice-Captain Hijikata Toshizo. I must apologize, we would have had this conversation sooner had you not gotten so sick."

At that point, Demon-Man spoke up. "That sickness of yours put a major setback in our plans."

At that, Liza got really irritated. "It's not like I planned on getting so sick! And what do you expect when a girl is dragged out of her home in the middle of the night, after her mother is killed in front of her, after she is left in a room for days on end with little food or water, then told she is to be a bargaining chip to probably bring about the downfall of the one thing her father has worked on so hard that he ended up neglecting his own family?! I'm just tired and scared and so far from-" with that, Liza cut herself off, not trusting her own voice.

Kondou saw her struggling to compose herself and had a rush of pity for her. "So far from what, Child? Your family?"

Tears had started spilling over her eyes and onto the floor in front of her. Liza stared at the floor and tried, in vain, to stop her voice from shaking. "I'm scared, and so far from home. I never wanted to move here in the first place." She stated quietly.

Kondou looked at her sadly. "What is your name, then?"

"My name is Liza." She was still looking at the ground, tears still falling.

"Well then, Liza. I'm assuming you know why you are here then?" Kondou asked softly.

"Just that you are using me to get to my father. I don't understand though. Why would you need to blackmail a man that sells machine parts? He moved us here to build a good life for his family, not get us drawn into a war!"

Hijikata looked her right in the eye and spoke in a venomous tone. "Look, your father is an arms dealer selling American and European weapons to Katsura Kogoro, the leader of the rebel faction in Japan against the Emperor, under the façade of being a business man selling machines. You are here as a hostage to be dealt with if your father does not agree to meet with us and stop the influx of weapons."

Liza was becoming livid. How dare these men make such accusations about her father like that!

"You are all a bunch of liars! My father would never do that! He would always go out of his way to keep and promote peace everywhere he went!"

Their bickering and accusatory remarks were being thrown back-and-fourth at an alarming rate, and the Commander wasn't about to listen to any more. "That is ENOUGH!" Kondou bellowed from between the feuding hostage and Vice-Commander.

Liza was on the verge of tears again and Hijikata turned away from the western girl with a snarl on his lips. Kondou looked between the two and sighed again. Any chance of peaceful, reasonable talks was gone now.

"Child, this must be a lot to take in right now. You will be sent back to your room, and you will still be under guard, and you will not be allowed into the dojo. However, under supervision, you will be allowed to go into the courtyard and will be given a training sword if your guard for the day allows it. You are now dismissed." And with that, the Commander left the room and Liza was taken back to her chambers.

End Flashback

_So I guess the good news is that I am not going to be beheaded any time soon, and I am now allowed outside. The bad news is that I now know my father to be an international arms dealer, my brother has probably been drawn into and knows everything about this, and I am still a hostage. I dearly wish I could leave to go back home to America, yet I know that will probably never happen in my lifetime._

_Feeling confused and hopeless,_

_Your Keeper_

Liza just felt lost. The life and family she had known and grown up with was a lie, and she wanted answers that she knew she would never get. She had been writing this journal outside under the watchful eye of Harada. He was usually pretty talkative, yet now he was silent, and Liza was perfectly happy with that. The sun was warm, and Liza walked over to the grave of her little bird and laid a few flowers on its resting spot. Seeing how shabby the garden was, she decided to pass the time she had by doing some weeding. Tying her hair back and rolling up her sleeves, Liza got to work on the monstrous task of weeding and cleaning the courtyard. Her guard looked at her strangely, yet he soon was on his hands and knees next to Liza, helping her out. Liza gave him a shocked look, and was suspicious of his actions. Yes, he was a kind man, but he was also a soldier, and a well-trained one too. It didn't take a genius to see that.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked. "There's nothing for you to gain from doing this, and I have a hard time believing that you would do this from the goodness of your heart."

Harada gave her that infectious grin of his and simply replied, "Than believe it. It gets boring just standing there watching you, and it looked like you could use some help."

Liza was still not completely sure of his motives, yet she wanted him to stay. They ended up talking, and weeding, and laughing until the sky was dark and her dinner was cold. And this routine continued for quite a few days and Liza wished those moments could last forever.

End Chapter 6

**So everyone, thanks again for reading and I hope you liked this chapter. I sort of lost my muse for a little bit, (it was probably buried under all my schoolwork) but its back for now and I will be updating soon. And if anyone wants a super-great book to read, pick up the book The Kite Runner by Kahled Hosseini. It's probably one of the best books I have read in a while, so if any of you read it or have read it, please let me know! Thanks!**


	7. Chapter 7

***avoids swords, spears and flaming pitchforks being thrown in her direction by and angry mob* Uh oh…. Gah I am so sorry this took so long to get out! I had finals, prom, shitty work scheduling, church stuff and grad party shtuff, and it all sort of happened at once! I know it's a lame excuse, but I will try to get chapters uploaded in a more timely fashion! So a big thank you to all the people who have been keeping up with this story, and those who have reviewed, it really keeps me motivated to keep writing! There will be some LizaxHarada fluff since I just love their dynamic, and I feel like Harada is often overlooked. Again, so sorry that this took forever, and I hope you enjoy!**

_September 8__th__, 1864_

_Wow…. It seems like a lifetime ago since I first started writing these journals. It's been about three months since I've been a hostage. I once held some hope that I was going to be rescued, but it seems that father has abandoned me once again; this time for good. I can only imagine how Will has been brainwashed since Father became an arms dealer. Or maybe Father has always been one and Will has always known and he followed willingly. With Harada's help, the scraggly courtyard looks like a proper garden. I have even been calling it my little Eden! I actually forgot that today is my birthday…. It's funny. The day I declare the garden no longer looks like an incredible mess, I remember my birthday… it became my own little gift I made for my twentieth birthday. Harada has been giving me proper kendo lessons, and I am proud to say that I am much improved. I am now perfectly capable of holding my own in a fight, instead of simple blocks and self-defense moves. After recently finding out that Harada, my guard, is a Shinsengumi captain, I really began to ask why I was such a high-security hostage. Harada informed me that I was the only girl on the compound, and they had a Captain guard me to prevent any "incidents" with the soldiers. And since I was already aware that Harada wasn't the only guard I had, I began to get to know all the other Captains as well. Kondou started to come by when he could for some tea and talk of the western world, while Hijikata, thankfully, never really stayed at all. He has this uncanny to scare me almost as bad as Souji. Heisuke is my age, and is just a joy to be around! He has this tendency to light up whatever room he is in with his infectious smile and REALLY bad jokes. And Heisuke is never far away from Shinpachi, who acts like his obnoxious older brother. Saitou is very quiet, but seems quite relaxed around me, while I still hate being anywhere near Souji. And poor Yamazaki turns this ridiculous shade of red whenever I am around. There have been no hints given to me why he does that, and no one will tell me why, but whatever. I must have seemed trustworthy enough for them, because I am going on patrol with Harada and a few of his men sometime soon. I will be leaving in a few moments for a briefing and a clothes change, with a probable warning/death threat if I run away. I won't though. Honestly, I don't think I want to go back to Father, now that I know who he really is, and why we are truly here. I feel like I have found a place among the company of these men, and they seem willingly enough to accept me, and give me that place with them._

_With hope for a brighter future_

_Your Keeper_

Moments after Liza shut the worn journal she had been given, her door was gently opened by Saitou. With a quick motion, he gave the signal for Liza to follow, and she obliged. The pair quickly made their way to the room where Souji had cruelly deposited her the first week she had been a captive. This time, she walked into the room on much better terms, and most importantly, not as a prisoner or a hostage, but as a guest, as an equal to these men. Her father had refused any and all negotiations to get Liza back and neither Liza nor her then-captors wanted herself to return to a home she was clearly not wanted in. After finding this out, Liza fell into a deep depression with a feeling of loss and abandonment by her own blood, the family she thought loved her. With help from the captains, though, her spirits were lifted and her mind becoming less troubled and depressed from the men she was beginning to regard as her new family.

With a deep breath and a reassuring glance from Saitou, Liza stepped into the meeting room. Even though she knew what the meeting was about, it still made her nervous. She knew that Hijikata didn't want her out on patrols with the other men, and she also knew that Kondou was worried about her being a woman in a high-stress environment full of uptight men. They were also aware that Liza was becoming stir-crazy confined to her little room and the small courtyard. So that was what the discussions were about, and for Liza it was judgment day. She stepped slowly and confidently over to Kondou before sitting in front of him. Holding her breath in anticipation, she waited.

And she waited. She was starting to squirm under the collective gaze of the Captains and their leader.

Kondou took a breath and answered the girl's unasked question. "With reservations, Liza, we will permit you to go on patrols."

Liza gave an internal cheer of excitement. She could go! She could see the country that was slowly replacing her image of home. And then came the words she knew were coming.

"There are some things that we to discuss before you go anywhere, and some ground rules that must be followed. Break any of them, and your punishment will be the same as the other soldiers. No exceptions will be made because you are a woman." Hijikata finished. Kondou shot the vice-commander a pleading look, yet the tall samurai was unwavering in his decision. Not as harsh, the Commander did go over the basic rules, as well as some others specific to her case.

"The two most important factors are your gender and western heritage. Since this is a male-only corps, it would be unwise for you to flaunt your gender. Around others, you will be addressed as Taika. It's an old name, but it will suit our purposes. Your hair is dark enough to not require dye, but you will be required to wear a mask for your own safety, to protect your identity as a westerner. There are few pro-western supporters, so anyone finding out your heritage would be an instant death sentence." Kondou's eyes darkened as he was speaking, and Liza was realizing how deadly serious these trainings and patrols were.

Liza was becoming increasingly pale, and she felt Harada press his hand against hers, since he also had to take precautions that she wasn't caught. While seemingly inappropriate for the situation at hand, she was comforted and grateful for the gesture. The meeting was finally adjourned with Kondou's parting words of 'good luck', and Harada led Liza back to her room. Both walked in silence, as Liza was figuring out how to cope with all the information that had been thrown at her.

Arriving at her door, Harada turned to face her. He had noticed that she became increasingly more pale as the meeting went on and he knew she was scared. Trying to put her mind at ease, Harada said, "You probably know that you will be on patrol with me and my squad, but I just want to reiterate something. I won't let anything happen to you, and you will be safe around me and my squad. They are good men and I trust them with my life."

Liza looked up at the spear-wielder and smiled. "Thank you. I know it must be hard on you as well to have one more person to look after, so I will try my best not to be a burden."

Harada glanced away and turned ever so slightly pink and replied, "I'll see you tomorrow then" before walking away from her room. With a small grin on her face, Liza opened the door to her room and was shocked to find a pile of neatly folded clothes on the floor next to her bed. Going through them, Liza found a band to bind her chest, an intricate metal shinobi mask, and the blue haori that was the uniform for all Shinsengumi members. She suspected it was either Yamazaki or Saitou that put them there. A knock at her door drew Liza out of her thoughts. Gently placing the items back where she found them, Liza stood up and opened the door to find the Green-Eyed devil himself, and she braced herself for a confrontation.

"What do you want?" a lazy smirk was her reply. "Speak now, I don't have the energy to deal with you now." God, did Liza just want him to go away.

An unrecognizable look passed over Souji's face and he reached next to the door to pull out her sword that was taken from her the night of her kidnapping.

"You can't go out on patrol without a good sword. And don't go killing yourself now that you have an actual weapon in your hands!" Souji spoke that last sentence as he was walking away from her room, leaving Liza more than a little confused and uneasy for the task ahead of her.

End Chapter7

**Ok, so while I kinda pulled this last chapter out of my behind, I did spend quite a bit of time on it and I hope you all enjoyed it! I do have a tumblr, so feel free to follow me at i-got-zapped there, and I hope to see you all again soon. Bye!**


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